Strictly Come Dancing fans have voiced their frustration after spin-off It Takes Two was delayed this evening, starting around 50 minutes after its usual timeslot. The show traditionally airs at 6:30pm on BBC Two but was nudged back due to the overrunning FIFA World Cup 2026 draw.
Host Janette Manrara did not mention the delay on-air, but had warned fans to expect it in a post published on the official Strictly Instagram Stories.
"So due to the FIFA World Cup draw, It Takes Two will be going up a little bit later tonight," she said. "But don't worry, we'll still be on, so we'll catch you straight after!"
Fans had voiced their irritation online, with one writing on X: "It takes two been delayed to 7pm due to the football world cup draw not happy my evening is scheduled round it takes two [sic]," alongside a couple of laughing emojis.
Another posted: "i just want #ittakestwo to start, this is torture," while another simply said: "Flippin hate football #ItTakesTwo."
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"2+ hours to pull some ping pong balls out of a goldfish bowl. Of course we can reschedule the whole evening because it’s football #ittakestwo," someone else wrote.
"oh come on! Who's watching the #FIFAWorldCup2026draw on #bbc2 ?? I want #strictly !! Not the least interested in this charade," read yet another post.
It's a big week for Strictly fans, as this weekend marks Musicals Week – the all-important Quarter Finals.
EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, who has already made history for surviving the most Dance-Offs, will be performing a Viennese Waltz to The Greatest Showman song ‘Never Enough’.
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Lewis Cope is readying a Salsa to 'Dance At The Gym' from West Side Story, Amber Davies is taking on the Charleston to ‘Sit Down, You’re Rockin' The Boat’ from Guys and Dolls, and George Clarke will showcase an Argentine Tango to the Phantom Of The Opera song ‘The Point Of No Return’.
Finally, Karen Carney is taking on a Samba to ‘The Rhythm Of Life’ from Sweet Charity.
It's also been revealed that this weekend will boast a new "Dance Relay" twist, which will not be scored by the judges.
According to an official announcement, the five-minute segment will see the stars "take to the floor as part of a high-energy celebration of musicals".
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.
